'All Things Lebowski' as Fans of Cult
Movie Gather to Bowl and Drink

By

Mark Yost

Updated July 23, 2003 12:01 a.m. ET

Louisville, Ky.

Most people have a favorite movie from which they can readily recite classic lines or even long speeches. For some, it's the opening speech in "Patton." A group of Dow Jones Newswires editors I once worked with could recite complete monologues from "Glenngary Glen Ross."

This past weekend was reserved for "all things Lebowski," as the second annual Lebowski Fest (www.lebowskifest.com) -- a tribute to the 1998 Coen brothers' film, "The Big Lebowski" -- convened here.

The event is the brainchild of Will Russell, 27, and Scott Shuffitt, 31, traveling trade show reps who idle away the hours by reciting dialogue from their favorite movie. They were at a tattoo convention last year when they went into their usual routine. Unprompted, the guys in the next booth joined in.

"That's when we started thinking that if there was enough interest for a tattoo convention, we could have a Lebowski convention," said Mr. Russell.

They surveyed their friends -- many fellow 20-something devotees of the film -- and the plan was given a resounding thumbs up. Last year's inaugural event drew more than 150 fans. This year's soiree attracted a sold-out crowd of 800 people, about 550 of them from 30 states outside of Kentucky and from Canada.

While the movie was a box-office flop, it's easy to see how it has grown into a cult classic. The central character is Jeff Lebowski, a.k.a. "The Dude," a lovable L.A. slacker played by Jeff Bridges whose life revolves around bowling, White Russians and getting stoned. His happily unproductive existence is abruptly interrupted when a couple of thugs mistake him for Jeffrey Lebowski -- "The Big Lebowski" -- whose wife owes money to a porn-producing mob boss. From there, the film is like a 1940s Raymond Chandler whodunit on acid.

Along for the ride, figuratively, are The Dude's two bowling partners, Walter and Donny, superbly played by Coen-brother staples John Goodman and Steve Buscemi. The colorful cast is rounded out by Julianne Moore as an avant-garde artist who slathers her naked body in paint and swings through the air on a leather harness, splattering paint against the canvas -- a technique similar to the one used by real-life postwar French artist Yves Klein; Philip Seymour Hoffman as the big Lebowski's man Friday; and John Turturro as Jesus Quintana, a gay blade in a purple jumpsuit and the on-alley nemesis of The Dude and his buddies.

This year's Lebowski Fest began Friday with cocktails at a local watering hole, followed by a midnight showing of the film at Louisville's art house theater. The guest of honor was Jeff "The Dude" Dowd, the Hollywood agent upon whom The Dude character is based.

Mr. Dowd, a Hollywood jack-of-all-trades who's largely unknown to the general public but in the Rolodex of nearly every Hollywood power broker, helped the Coens sell their first film, 1984's "Blood Simple." And while he's certainly more successful in real life than is his onscreen persona, five minutes with him tells you the Coens nailed the caricature.

At the start of the screening, nearly the whole audience was reciting the dialogue word-for-word. Thankfully, that ceased quickly. But throughout the movie, fans with dialogue printed on T-shirts stood and puffed their chests when it was spoken onscreen.

Saturday's festivities took place at a local bowling alley where everyone gathered to -- what else? -- bowl, drink White Russians and watch the movie again. There was also a costume contest and trivia challenge. As the faithful -- about a quarter of whom were in costume -- streamed in about 8 p.m. for unlimited bowling that was to last until 2 a.m., Mr. Dowd quietly confided: "This is going to be one hell of a party."

And it was.

But what is it that endears this movie to so many? Clearly the biggest draw for these devotees is The Dude's laissez-faire lifestyle. That, and repetition. Many people claimed to have seen the movie 50 times or more.

"The first time I saw it, I was really sort of indifferent toward it," admits festival co-founder Mr. Russell. "The second time it was better and the third time it was hilarious."

"I love the characters and dialogue," said Pete Isgrigg, 24, of Louisville, who also attended last year's festival. "It fits really well with my life, which I guess is pretty sad."

"We like it because it reminds us of our day-to-day lives," said Eddie Cedeno, 19, of Los Angeles.

He and two friends spent five days in a car to attend this year's Lebowski Fest and boasted that they bowled regularly at Hollywood Star Lanes, where the film was shot, before it closed last year.

"It's a way of life -- the way they feel about bowling," said Tim Heuer, 23, who drove in from Detroit. "Like the movie says: It's strikes and gutters. That's true of bowling and that's true of life."

What's interesting is that while The Dude is the central character, few said he was their favorite.

"We appreciate The Dude, but Walter's out of control," said Mr. Cedeno, referring to Mr. Goodman's character, an edgy former Vietnam vet who pulls a .45 out of his bowling bag to settle a scoring dispute.

Kurtis Kirk, 31, and Jenna Romano, 27, who drove 11 hours from Audubon, N.J., agreed that Walter is the most memorable character. Indeed, among the costumed attendees, Walter was clearly the favorite.

The only person who said The Dude was his favorite was Jay Jackson, 45, of Louisville. Ironically, Mr. Jackson was dressed for the costume contest as The Stranger, the film's narrator, played by Sam Elliott.

"It grabs you the same way 'Caddyshack' grabs golfers," said Mr. Jackson. "And it's just plain funny as hell."

So funny that Messrs. Russell and Shuffitt are thinking that the third installment of their annual get-together will be held on the road. And if it turns into a commercial success for them, it would be well deserved. For they've taken a mild hobby and turned it into a tasteful gathering. And while some of this weekend's festivalgoers were somewhat rabid in their devotion, most haven't devolved into a level of groupiedom akin to "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." But who knows what a few more rounds of White Russians and a few frames of bowling could bring.

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